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Am panicing about fees

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  • 20-08-2008 1:01am
    #1
    spaceylou
    Registered Users Posts: 1,451 ✭✭✭


    I just logged into ucdconnect with my new student number (why they couldn't let me keep my old one I've no idea) and started registering for my masters and it was all going fine until I got to the fees page - apparently they are trying to charge me fees at the non-EU rate!!!

    However I am Irish, and I just spent the last three years in UCD not paying fees under the Irish governments free fees scheme which as far as I am aware is only available to EU students (if not actually only Irish students) AND in receipt of a grant from Dublin City Council which again to the best of my knowledge is only available to Irish students so how on earth do they figure I don't have EU citizenship???

    Now part of me knows it is most likely an admin error somewhere along the way and it will be all sorted out but the other half of me is starting to panic!!! :confused::confused::confused: Cause I really do not have nearly 14k and what if a certain amount of places on the course are reserved for non-EU students and they gave one of those to me by accident - do I still get the place - I've paid my deposit and rejected my other two offers!!!

    has this happened to anyone else????


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    #2
    rainbow kirby
    Registered Users Posts: 26,928 ✭✭✭✭rainbow kirby


    Relax, go out to UCD tomorrow and have some stern words with Fees and Grants. They wanted to charge me full EU fees this year (4th BSc Computer Science), but I was able to sort it in a couple of minutes with them.


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    #3
    spaceylou
    Registered Users Posts: 1,451 ✭✭✭spaceylou


    thanks rainbow kirby, won't be able to attend ucd in person tomorrow as I have to go to work but will def ring them first thing.....fingers crossed it can be sorted out nice and easily


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    #4
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭ChocolateSauce


    It happened to me too, although under slightly different circumstances. I was born in the USA but I spent 20 years (out of 21) in Ireland. The CAO asked me where was I born (not what is my nationality) and at Christmas I got a bill for 20,000. I wrote back a scathing letter accusing them of being racist in assuming that being born outside Ireland meant you weren't Irish and I got a letter of apology and the fees were withdrawn when I showed them proof.

    Btw, they don't ask for proof! You can lie on the CAO and say you're Irish and that'll be that.


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    #5
    spaceylou
    Registered Users Posts: 1,451 ✭✭✭spaceylou


    thanks theozster, if I can't get through to a real person today I'll send them a letter tomorrow with a copy of my passport. I mean I had to fill in my pps number on the personal information section so surely they can figure out from that, that I am Irish!!


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    #6
    Yuugib
    Registered Users Posts: 432 ✭✭Yuugib


    Where exactly in UCD is the fees and grants office? Looks like i have similar case...


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    #7
    Geo08
    Closed Accounts Posts: 87 ✭✭Geo08


    Go to the Tierney building, I had the same prob, down as non eu, although have never lived out of the eu (only here & england) got that sorted fairly easy.


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    #8
    princess-sprkle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 625 ✭✭✭princess-sprkle


    Yuugib wrote: »
    Where exactly in UCD is the fees and grants office? Looks like i have similar case...

    its in the admin building (opposite arts block).
    its up near the back, just behind the student desk.


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    #9
    stepbar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,123 ✭✭✭stepbar


    spaceylou wrote: »
    I just logged into ucdconnect with my new student number (why they couldn't let me keep my old one I've no idea) and started registering for my masters and it was all going fine until I got to the fees page - apparently they are trying to charge me fees at the non-EU rate!!!

    However I am Irish, and I just spent the last three years in UCD not paying fees under the Irish governments free fees scheme which as far as I am aware is only available to EU students (if not actually only Irish students) AND in receipt of a grant from Dublin City Council which again to the best of my knowledge is only available to Irish students so how on earth do they figure I don't have EU citizenship???

    Now part of me knows it is most likely an admin error somewhere along the way and it will be all sorted out but the other half of me is starting to panic!!! :confused::confused::confused: Cause I really do not have nearly 14k and what if a certain amount of places on the course are reserved for non-EU students and they gave one of those to me by accident - do I still get the place - I've paid my deposit and rejected my other two offers!!!

    has this happened to anyone else????

    Some county councils will only meet the first 5k of fees. I know because I was interested in going to Smurfit but decided on DIT because of same. Fees for Smurfit were 10k!!!! (of which I'd have to pay 5k). Might not be a mistake.


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    #10
    princess-sprkle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 625 ✭✭✭princess-sprkle


    spaceylou wrote: »
    thanks theozster, if I can't get through to a real person today I'll send them a letter tomorrow with a copy of my passport. I mean I had to fill in my pps number on the personal information section so surely they can figure out from that, that I am Irish!!

    I'd say its just an admin error. if i had a euro for every admin error i've had, i could pay your non EU fees for ya :p
    give the fees office an email? fees@ucd.ie, or failing that ring them and ask for it to be sorted while your on the phone to them.


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    #11
    spaceylou
    Registered Users Posts: 1,451 ✭✭✭spaceylou


    stepbar wrote: »
    Some county councils will only meet the first 5k of fees. I know because I was interested in going to Smurfit but decided on DIT because of same. Fees for Smurfit were 10k!!!! (of which I'd have to pay 5k). Might not be a mistake.

    The county councils meet the first 6110 (this year) of fees if you get a grant which I do, but what I'm talking about is the two different rates that fees can be charged at regardless of if you get a grant or not. Basically my course is 7150 for EU students (which should include me) and 14800 for non-EU students (which despite what ucd currently say, should not include me).

    I've emailed fees, the student desk, and my course co-ordinator - still awaiting responses. And I've phoned the graduate programme office who can't help me and the student desk who agree it must be a mistake but unfortunately access to a real person at the other end of the phone when you ring fees is a rarity so I'll keep trying I guess. Fingers crossed it gets sorted out sooner rather than later!!


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    #12
    spaceylou
    Registered Users Posts: 1,451 ✭✭✭spaceylou


    Progress report - admin contacted me to say that my two student numbers and accounts are being merged into one, my student number will remain the same and this should sort out the fees issue as well.

    Accounts have been merged but no effect on fees as of yet, mind you this only happened in the last half hour so I'll give them until tomorrow morning to update the system before I start ringing again :) Light at the end of the tunnel....


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